Carrier mechanism for guns



Oct. 9, 1956 w. B. MORRIS 2,765,559

CARRIER MECHANISM FOR GUNS Filed Au 28, 1952 35 Q ll nlnnunnnnnnn,nnunnununmun,

WM. B. MORRIS INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY CARRIER MECHANISM FOR GUNS William B. Morris, Fort Worth, Tex.

Application August 28, 1952, Serial No. 306,809

1 Claim. (til. 42-23) This invention relates to firearms having magazines for carrying cartridges and particularly to the gun actions thereof, and has reference to rifles having lever operated cartridge loading, cocking and case extracting mechanisms. Certan features of the invention ar not limited to lever operated rifles, but may be used in various types of rifles and guns.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my patent application Serial Number 161,930, filed May 15, 1950, now Patent Number 2,638,694, issued May 19, 1953, and is concerned particularly with cartridge extractor and carrier mechanisms described in the latter application.

An object of this invention is to provide in a firearm mechanisms which will permit the firing of ammunition producing high pressures, and particularly, to provide in a repeating lever operated rifle mechanisms which will allow the use of ammunition producing higher pressures than can be accommodated in present rifles.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a firearm having a magazine a cartridge carrier and a cartridge case extractor combination for loading, extracting, and ejecting a cartridge and its case. A related object is to provide such a combination which is separate from the breech block or bolt of the firearm. Another related object is to provide such a combination which coacts with the breech block or bolt, and also, to provide a carrier and extractor combination which is adapted for operation with a dropping breech block or bolt. It is an important object of this invention that a carrier and extractor combination be furnished in a lever operated rifle, which will function with a dropping breech block to provide strong construction and to eliminate an accumulation of tolerances between parts which allow expansion of the cartridge head. Such expansion tends to jam the cartridge in the breech and sometimes permits the cartridge to rupture, resulting in damage to the gun and injury to the user.

An additional object of the invention is to provide in a firearm a case extractor adapted to support the rim of a rimless, semi-rimmed, or rimmed type cartridge head, and which extractor is also supported to resist the lateral forces of the explosion within the cartridge. The portion of the cartridge rim not supported by the extractor is engaged and supported by the wall of the barrel chamber.

A further object is to provide a case extractor which is seated in close engagement within the barrel breech and contacting the rim of an inserted cartridge, the extractor and cartridge head being supported at the rear of the breech with no appreciable head space and resisting longitudinal explosive forces.

Another object is to provide a carrier for loading a cartridge which is separate from the breech block or bolt.

An additional object is to provide a cartridge carrier separate from the breech block or bolt and adapted to engage a case extractor, and also having means cooperating with a case extractor for initially breaking a case from its seat in the gun barrel. An accompanying object is to provide a carrier which is operated by the lever of a rifle.

Another object is to furnish a carrier that does not interfere in its rearward movement with the preferred butt construction and shape, and the use of which enables the construction of a gun whose action is compact and which may be manufactured on a large scale and relatively inexpensively, at the same time conserving metal.

The foregoing and other objects of this invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawing of a preferred embodiment of my invention, in which the various parts are identified by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a lever operated rifle action, with part of the construction broken away and in section, embodying the features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view illustrating the same embodiment and taken from the same side as Figure 1, with part of the construction broken away and in section;

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a cartridge carrier and a cartridge case extractor embodying the features of the invention, removed from the rifle and carrying a cartridge;

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the cartridge carrier and the cartridge case extractor;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1 and with gun action parts, cartridge, and frame removed; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a turn bolt assembly engaging a breech bolt, part of the latter being broken off.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawing, the rifle illustrated includes a barrel 11, a frame 12, a stock 13, and a receiver 14 mounted above the frame. The barrel is threadedly engaged in the forward end of the receiver, and the stock is secured to the rear end of the frame by a stock bolt 15. The receiver 14 is secured to the frame 12 by screws 16 forwardly and rearwardly of the gun action.

Within a rearwardly projecting tang 17 of the frame 12 1s a linking arm 18 having an elongated slot 19 in one end through which a pivot pin 20 passes, which pin is secured to the sides of frame 12. A spacer 21 is slidably disposed within the slot 19 and bears against the pin 20 by reason of a compression spring 22 positioned between the spacer and the end of the slot. The end of the linking arm 18 opposite to the pin 20 is slotted to receive a pro- .jection 23 integral with an operating lever 24, and the linking arm and the projection are pivotally connected by a lever pivot pin 25.

The lever 24 extends downwardly and through an opening 26 in the lower portion of the frame 12, and includes a handle 27 having a hand opening 28. Forwardly of the handle is a trigger guard 29, and the upper end of the lever 24 has an integral forwardly projecting lever arm 30. In the rear of trigger guard 29 is a trigger 31, and in the forward end of the trigger guard is a safety 32. The trigger and safety may be those described in the aforesaid patent or constructed in ways described in the art, and they are not directly concerned in the instant invention.

The forward end of the lever arm 3b is received within a cavity 33 in a cartridge carrier 34 and is pivotally secured thereto by a lever arm attaching pivot pin 35. The outer sides of the carrier 34 have longitudinal tongues 36, shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4, which slidably engage longitudinal grooves 37 in opposite sides of the receiver 14. The tongues 36 are cut away intermediate their ends to accommodate the lever arm attaching pin 35. As shown in Figure l, the forward end of the lever arm 30 is provided with a cam 38 for bearing against a thrust pin 39 slidably mounted and forwardly directed in the forward end of the carrier 34. As will become apparent,

3 the action of the cam 38 on the thrust pin 39 has to do with initially dislodging the case of a cartridge 40 from the cartridge chamber 41 in the barrel 11.

Extraction of the case of the cartridge 40 is carried out by means of a claw type extractor 42, secured to the forward end of the cartridge carrier 34, as shown in detail in Figures 2, 3, and 4. The inner surface 43 of a shank 43a of the extractor 42, between the forward end of the carrier 34 and an inwardly projecting claw 44 integral with the forward end of the shank, bears against the rim 45 of the cartridge head 46. The inner point of the claw 44 does not necessarily contact the groove 47 of the cartridge head 46, although shown to be in contact. The outer surface 48 of hte extractor 42 is in sliding contact with the surface of a cavity 49 in the breech of the barrel 11, as shown in Figure 2. The inwardly projecting portion of the claw 44 is arcuate as viewed from its forward end, and its arc comprises substantially 90 degrees. The cartridge rim 45 is completely chambered and in contact with the wall of the cartridge chamber 41 except where it is in contact with the extractor 42. With the latter being supported in the cavity 49 by the barrel 11, the rim 45 is completely supported laterally against the expanding pressures of the explosion within the cartridge 40.

A dropping breech block 50 is positioned beneath the carrier 34, and the forward end of the breech block has substantially vertical projections 50a on each side which slidably operate in corresponding grooves 51 in the forward end of the receiver 14, as shown in Figures 1, and 6. The forward end of the breech block also has generally vertical grooves 52 which accommodate a cartridge pickup 53 depending from one side of carrier 34 at its forward end and an extractor support 54 depending from the other side of carrier 34 at the same end, the pickup and support being shown more clearly in Figure 4. At the top of the breech block 50 and at its forward end, there is a longitudinal slot 55, shown in Figure 6, pro vided to receive a depending loading projection 56, shown in Figure 4, extending beneath carrier 34 at its forward end. As depicted in Figures 1 and 2, the breech block 50 and the loading projection 56 contact the rear surface of the cartridge head 46 throughout its area, with no appreciable head space present, so that the cartridge head is completely supported longitudinally against the pressures resulting from the explosion within the cartridge 40.

The breech block 50 also includes a rectangular body 57 having a vertical recess 58 in its lower surface arranged to accommodate an extending arm 59 of a turn bolt assembly 60, the latter being shown in Figure 6. Opposing recesses 61, formed in the sides of the vertical recess 58, slidably and rotatably receive a round hand bar 62, secured to the arm 59, for raising and lowering the breech block 50. The turn bolt assembly 69 includes a laterally projecting lug 63 near its rearward end which is arranged to engage an opening 64 in the lever 24. The turn bolt assembly 60 is pivotally connected to the frame 12 at its ends, in a manner not shown, and is rotated about its longitudinal axis by the action of the lever 24 at its opening 64 on the lug 63 of the turn bolt assembly. The extending arm 59 and the integral hand bar 62, rotating with the remainder of turn bolt assembly 60, raise and lower the breech block 50. Details of this construction not shown form no part of the instant invention. A preferred construction is described in the aforesaid patent. For the purposes of this invention, other means for raising and lowering the breech block can be employed.

The breech block body is longitudinally drilled and reamed to accommodate a striker 65, shown in Figure 1, which has an integral firing pin, not shown, at its forward end and normally projecting outwardly from the forward end of breech block 50. A cocking piece 66 is secured to the rearward end of the striker 65 and projects downwardly where it is provided with a guide 67 which is slidably received within the rear end of the breech block d- 50. Details of the cocking and firing mechanisms are not shown as forming no part of the instant invention and being suitably arranged in ways described in the art. Preferred mechanisms are described in the aforesaid patent.

In the following description of operation, it will be assumed that the cartridge 41} in the barrel chamber 41 is ready to be fired and that the action is cocked, as shown in Figure 1. Pulling the trigger 31 releases the cocking piece 66 and the striker 65, and a compression spring, not shown, within the breech block 50, acts to impel the striker and its integral firing pin forward, the latter striking and firing the cartridge 40.

The lever 24 is then pulled downwardly and rearwardly by means of its handle 27. The initial operation of the lever rotates the turn bolt lug 63 downwardly, and the remainder of the turn bolt assembly rotates as a result so that the arm 59 and integral hand bar 62 rotate downwardly, lowering the breech block 5h, eventually to the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. When the breech block is below the head of the fired case of the cartridge 40, the cam 38 on lever arm 3t) bears against the thrust pin 39, moving the carrier 34 and extractor 42 rearwardly and breakin the fired case from the barrel chamber 41.

Continued operation of the lever 24 moves the carrier 34 and the extractor 42 rearwardly, the carrier sliding in the receiver grooves 37, and the extractor pulls the fired case of the cartridge 40 to a point where ejecting means, not shown, engage the fired casc and eject it from the rifle. At the same time, the cartridge pickup 53 moves rearwardly along the uppermost cartridge 68 in a spring-loaded magazine 69. After the pickup 53 is positioned rearwardly of the cartridge 63, a magazine spring, not shown, moves the cartridge to a position where the pickup and extractor 42 engage its head. The lever 24 is then in the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure l.

The lever 24 is then moved upwardly and forwardly by means of its handle 27, causing the cartridge carrier 34 to move forwardly, which in turn moves the cartridge 63 out of the magazine 6? and into contact with the inner surface of the receiver 14- by means of the pickup 53. Continued forward movement of the carrier 3 po sitions the nose of the cartridge 68 in the barrel chamber 41. When the cartridge becomes aligned with the axis of the barrel ii, the loading projection 56 depending from the carrier 34 contacts the end of the cartridge head for completing the loading operation, and the cartridge rim engages the extractor 42, as shown in Figure 3. The continued movement of the carrier 34 completely chambers the cartridge 68.

When the lever 24 is fully extended, the lever opening 64 is disengaged from the turn bolt lug 63, the latter being maintained in its downward position. As the lever 24 is closed, the opening 64 re-engages the lug 63 and causes the hand bar 62 to raise the breech block 50, which goes into position adjoining the carrier 34, as shown in Figure 1. Suitable cocking mechanisms cock the action, and the gun is then ready to fire.

The present invention is not limited to the specific construction shown and described herein, but variations within the scope of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art, and to the extent that such variations are encompassed within the appended claim, it is to be understood that they constitute part of the invention.

I claim:

In a gun action including a lever for operating the same and positioned rearwardly of the gun barrel, a cartridge carrier, means connecting said lever with said carrier moving the latter forwardly and rearwardly, a thrust pin positioned in the forward end of said carrier and arranged to bear on the breech end of the gun barrel, a cam on the forward end of said lever and positioned to engage the rearward end of the thrust pin.

5 6 References Cited in the file of this patent 2,462,889 Neidhardt Mar. 1, 1949 2,473,373 Howell June 14, 1949 TE STATES PATENTS 2,479,844 Koucky et a1. Aug. 23, 1949 7 222,749 Tlesmg Dec. 16, 1879 226,809 Tiesing Apr. 20, I880 FOREIGN PATENTS 228,560 Schneider June 8, 1880 727,222 Germany Oct. 29, 1942 398,130 Cooper et a1 Feb. 19, 1889 

